A Brazilian man sought by NSW police over the murder of former BHP executive Cecilia Haddad has been arrested by police in Rio de Janeiro.

The ABC reports that Mario Marcelo Santoro, 40, was detained after the city’s police found him in hiding at a relative’s house in the Botafogo district.

A NSW Police issued an an arrest warrant for Haddad’s ex-boyfriend last month and the ABC reports Brazilian police issued their own warrant on the weekend following negotiations with Australian authorities.

The body of Haddad, a 38-year-old mining consultant who’d relocated to Sydney after spending more than a decade working for BHP in Western Australia, was found in the upper reaches of Sydney Harbour in late April.

Santoro, who had been living with Haddad, reportedly had been asked to move out a few weeks earlier after the relationship broke down. He flew from Sydney to Brazil on the same day her body was discovered by kayakers near Woolwich on April 29. She was last seen on the Friday evening at a barbecue and spoke to friends on early on Saturday morning, but after that, failed to appear for several appointments and concerned friends contacted police.

Brazil and Australia have an extradition treaty. If Santoro returns to Australia he will be charged with murder.

In a statement NSW Police said Homicide Squad detectives are ready to travel to Brazil as soon as the International protocols have been met.

“The NSW Police Force is continuing to work though Commonwealth processes in order to bring a successful conclusion to their investigation,” a spokesperson said.